Method for producing blended cigarette filler

Abstract: A method of producing blended cigarette filler is provided. Each component of the blend is processed individually through the cutting step for filling value enhancement. The individual cut components are then blended and the blended cut filler treated further, such as with final flavorings. Processing components individually allows each component to be treated under conditions optimized for that component, resulting in a blend that can produce cigarettes with lower weight at the same volume and firmness, fewer loose ends, and more uniform delivery and taste.

Description: Background of the Invention This invention relates to the production of blended cigarette filler. More particularly, this invention relates to the production of different blended cigarette fillers in a way that is more flexible with respect to changing from one blend to the other, and that improves the process yield and filling power, and controls the subjective character, of the resulting blended cigarette filler. The many cigarette brands currently available are differentiated in part by the blend of tobaccos used in the cigarette filler for each brand. These blended cigarette fillers include a number of different tobacco components, including, but not limited to, bright (or Virginia) tobacco, burley tobacco, and oriental tobacco, as well as a number of pre-processed and reprocessed tobacco components such as expanded tobacco, expanded stems, or one or more of a number of types of reconstituted or non-reconstituted tobacco. Each blend may also be distinguished by the conditions under which the components were processed, as well as by the various flavorings, or "casings", applied to the blend, both to the individual components before blending and to the total blend. Further, even within each type of tobacco component, there are various grades of tobacco. For example, leaves in certain positions on the tobacco plant are of different quality. Leaves of lower quality include flyings, sandy lugs and tips in burley tobacco, sandy leaves, primings and tips in bright tobacco, and third and fourth class and tips in oriental tobacco. Tobacco blends are further distinguished by the amounts of these components of different quality. The production of blended cigarette filler from these various components is sometimes referred to as the "primary processing" stage of cigarette manufacture. Known primary processing methods are designed to produce large quantities of a relatively small number of blends, and are not well-suited to contemporary demands for a relatively large number of blends. For example, one known primary processing method is as follows: First, the various types of tobacco are separately vacuum conditioned to destroy insects and to add heat and moisture. Second, a number of the component tobaccos may be further processed in a conditioning cylinder, in which the leaf is opened up and "pads" of tobacco (agglomerations of strip and leaves) are eliminated, by tumbling and the application of steam and water. This stage may also include the use of a number of air separators to help eliminate pads. In addition, various types of reconstituted tobacco products may be similarly processed. Burley, bright and oriental tobaccos, reconstituted products, and other pre-processed components are then stored in preblend silos. It is also known for the vacuum conditioning and conditioning cylinder steps to be replaced by a single step known as direct cylinder conditioning in which insect destruction and leaf separation are accomplished in a single cylinder in which heat, steam and water are applied. Next, an initial flavoring or casing step is carried out. In this step, initial base or "top" casings are applied separately to the individual components as required by their individual characteristics. For example, the reconstituted tobacco components may have been preflavored during their production, and thus are not treated in this stage, while the bright and oriental preblends may receive an initial flavoring treatment. The burley component usually receives the most treatment at this stage. Because of the naturally lower sugars content of burley tobacco, the burley preblend is sprayed with a solution of sugars and other flavors and then dried both to drive off water from the solution and to cause the sugars to react with the natural leaf constituents. Finally, "top" casings appropriate for burley tobacco are applied. The known processing stages thus far described are carried out regardless of the particular blend of tobaccos being produced. Each of the stages is carried out under conditions of temperature, humidity, etc., which are matched to the characteristics of the individual tobacco components. At this point in the process, however, the individual components are mixed into a single silo as a "total blend," in proportions required by the final product. The remaining stages, in which all components are necessarily treated together, are carried out under conditions designed to optimize the results for the blend. The next stage, for example, is usually the cutting stage, in which the blended leaf strip is cut to cigarette filler width--e.g., about 0.85 mm (about thirty cuts per inch). The objective in this stage is to achieve the longest possible acceptable strand length, and to that end heat and moisture are added during this step. After cutting, the cut filler is dried, expanded components (leaf or stem) and other tobaccos, if any, are added--these are already in filler size--and the final or "after-cut" flavorings or casings for the blend are applied. The completed blend is then stored, as in a silo, until used to produce cigarettes or other smoking articles. Known primary processing methods such as that just described are capital intensive, requiring large numbers of cylinders, dryers, weigh belts and feeders, as well as the application of large amounts of water and energy at many stages. For these reasons, primary processing equipment is designed to produce large quantities of tobacco blends in order to maximize economies of scale. As a result, however, it is not practical to have a large number of primary processing production lines. Therefore, while the known primary processing methods and equipment are reasonably well-suited to producing blends which are used in large quantities, they must also be used to produce the less used and specialty blends. If such a blend must be produced, no matter in how small a quantity, production of the high volume blend must be ended by completing the processing of all tobacco currently in the line. The line must then be cleaned, and then the new blend can be produced. This results in inefficient use of equipment and personnel because of the need to change over the equipment for the next blend. For example, it may take ten to thirty minutes each time the equipment is cleaned and changed over for the next blend. Because the method and equipment are set up to produce large amounts of blended cut filler, it is frequently necessary to produce more of the special blend than is required, and then store it for future use. This results in high storage costs, and in some cases, if the blend is used infrequently enough, may result in the waste of tobacco or the need to reprocess it if, for example, some of the more volatile of the added flavors evaporate in storage. It would be desirable to be able to produce different blends of cut tobacco filler with minimum loss of efficiency to change from one blend to another. It would also be desirable to be able to produce a blended cut tobacco filler closer in time to when it is used. It would still further be desirable to be able to maximize the filling power, size and survivability of individual components of the blended tobacco filler, and to minimize the production of fines thus increasing total yield. It would yet further be desirable to be able to minimize the loss to the environment of both natural and added flavor components of blended cut tobacco filler. It would similarly be desirable to control the subjective character of each component and of the blended tobacco filler by controlling the process operating parameters. In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of preparing blended cigarette filler including a plurality of filler components. The method includes the steps of, for each one of the components, treating the one component under treatment conditions optimized for the one component, and cutting the one component to produce a cut filler component. The method also includes the step of blending the plurality of cut filler components to produce blended cigarette filler. A similar method of this kind is already known from GB-A-2 140 270 and WO-A- 83/03186. GB-A-2140270, discloses the treatment of burley tobacco (by being subjected to nitrate extraction process), followed by blending with a cut flue-cured tobacco; there is no suggestion that the cut flue-cured tobacco is itself treated under optimal conditions prior to blending. The blended tobacco is then subjected to treatment, including in particular expansion. WO-A-83/03186, discloses in claim 1 the separate cutting of blend components prior to blending. One of the components is a reconstituted tobacco sheet. There is no disclosure of any other separate and optimal treatment of the blend components, as required by claim 1 of the invention. In the known methods the conditions are optimized for the total blend, and may not produce the final blended cut filler with the maximum filling power and optimal size from the initial leaf used, because the overall conditions, while optimizing these parameters for the blend, do not optimize them for each component or tobacco type. For example, the optimum cutting width for the different components may differ. In fact, in some known processes, the cutting conditions are known to be particularly detrimental to certain components. Nevertheless, this stage is carried out after blending because it has heretofore been believed that it is too difficult, because of concerns related to differences in component strand density, size, moisture and rigidity, to efficiently and effectively blend cut tobacco filler components. Of course, once this step has been performed, the remaining steps must necessarily be performed on the total blend. Similarly, the conditions that favor maximum survivability and minimum breakage (or formation of fines) for the blend, may not be those for the individual components. The overall filling power of the blend could be even greater if each component could be processed individually under conditions optimized for that component. Similarly, the total yield of filler produced could be greater if each component achieved increased survivability. Also, to the extent that various stages of the processing of the blended filler are carried out at elevated temperatures, those temperatures are optimized for the blend, but may not be the most favorable temperatures to preserve the flavor or other characteristics of any particular component. Similarly, to the extent that a lot of heating and drying takes place, the tobacco filler or its components are frequently far from their ambient storage equilibrium values for moisture content. And those repeated heating and drying steps may drive off naturally occurring flavors in the tobacco which could be preserved if some of those steps could be eliminated. Moreover, because processing conditions are optimized for the blend, it is not possible to take into account the varying qualities of the tobacco components, which effect the final subjective characteristics of the blend, as well as its filling power and other characteristics. Finally, known processes can result in the undesirable release of flavorings and solvents into the environment. Because of frequent drying steps in the known processes, as well as the time lag between production and use caused by the need to make large batches of certain blends ahead of time, excess casings may have to be applied, only to be driven off in some drying step, or to naturally evaporate during storage. Similarly, as referred to above, naturally occurring compounds may also be driven off, which not only results in the loss of their contribution to flavor, but also results in their release into the environment. The invention will be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic flow diagram of a previously known process for producing blended cigarette filler; FIG. 2 is a high level schematic flow diagram of a process according to the present invention for producing blended cigarette filler; FIG. 3 is a more detailed flow diagram of a first portion of the diagram of FIG. 2, showing a preferred embodiment of a first stage of the process according to the invention; and FIG. 4 is a more detailed flow diagram of a second portion of the diagram of FIG. 2, showing a preferred embodiment of a second stage of the process according to the invention. In the primary processing method according to the present invention, preferably each type of tobacco component is treated separately up to and including cut component storage. Accordingly, up to that time each component can be processed at conditions that are optimized for that component. Specifically, temperature and humidity can be maintained within ranges that maximize filling power and survivability, and minimize breakage, for that component, without regard to other components with which the component may ultimately be blended. The final cutting width can also be adjusted to that which provides the maximum filling power, as well as optimized subjective characteristics, for that component. In that connection, it has been found that the characteristics of poorer quality tobacco, even within the same component type, can be improved by cutting it to a wider width--i.e., fewer cuts per centimetre (inch)--than higher quality tobacco of the same type. Thus, the ultimate blend may have tobacco strands of different widths, depending on the components in the blend. However, the ultimate blend will also have maximized filling power and survivability, and minimized breakage thus resulting in high yield. In addition, the treatment conditions can be adjusted to enhance the taste of each component and, thus, the final blended product. Currently, flavor systems are applied to the final blend, and it is contemplated that that would ordinarily be the case with the method according to the invention. However, in at least some cases it may be determined that the taste of the final blend may be enhanced if certain casings are applied to individual components. For example, it may be determined that a particular casing, which is part of the flavor system for a particular blend, can be used in much smaller amounts if it is applied to a particular component of the blend before blending. This may be because the casing reacts in a certain way, for example, with the particular component. Because it results in the particular casing being applied directly to the tobacco component with which it is meant to react, applying casings in this way may also reduce the amount of a particular casing that is needed. In turn, that may reduce the amount of that casing that is released into the environment as compared to when a larger amount of the same casing is applied to the total blend. After the individual components have been separately processed, they may be stored until needed for a particular blend. The storage life of the individual treated cut components is about several weeks, which is a result in part of only applying limited base, or "top," casings to the components, with most casings, particularly the most volatile casings, being applied later as discussed below. When it is desired to make up a particular filler blend, the appropriate portions of the treated cut components are metered out and mixed together. At this point, other components such as expanded and other reconstituted and non-reconstituted components are also mixed in. These other components usually will have been treated at the time they were manufactured, so they normally can be introduced here without being treated like the cut filler components. Of course, there is no reason why they could not be treated like the other components if desired. Mixing together of individual components is carried out by feed devices and metering weigh belts for individual components, establishing proper component composition. The components are discharged onto or into a series of specific in-line mixing and flow-splitting devices within a common filler accumulation lane or device. Previously known systems have depended upon component metering systems which were verified by volumetric measurements to assure proper component ratios. Previously known blending systems were mechanically severe, so that blending of components generated large quantities of fines and broken strands, and in general degraded the tobacco to the extent that the quality of cigarettes produced was noticeably affected. This invention produces cut components which are more similar with respect to size distribution, and when processed in the aforementioned blending and flow-splitting devices, produce through subsequent process operations a level of complete blending which is at least as uniform as is achieved in previously known systems, but with less degradation. After the individual components have been mixed together, the final "after-cut" casings are applied. These casings, which are usually the casings that distinguish a blend from other blends, are generally more volatile than the base casings, and hence are applied closer to the time that the filler is actually to be used. If they are applied too far in advance, at least some of them may evaporate before the filler can be made into a cigarette. The filler, now substantially finished, can be used immediately if necessary, or can be stored for about ten days. The temporal proximity of production to usage also allows reduction in the amount of casings applied, because there is less storage time during which evaporation can occur. When the filler is delivered to cigarette making equipment, it can be delivered by conventional pneumatic conveyors or by any other suitable conveyor apparatus. The method of the invention, as just described, can be thought of as two major stages--preparation of cut filler components and fabrication of final blends. The first stage--cut filler preparation--is better suited for large runs, insofar as it requires high-volume equipment such as conditioning devices and cutters. However, this is acceptable because the resulting components can be used in any of the blends to be fabricated in the second stage. The first stage can thus be run substantially continually--e.g., with parallel lines for each component or fewer lines serially processing components--at least until a predetermined maximum amount on hand of each component is reached. The second stage--blend fabrication--is better suited to smaller runs with quick starts and stops, as it involves mainly feeders, weigh belts and blending devices. Although certain blends are needed in large quantities and thus may be produced over a large part of the total operating time of the blend fabrication equipment, production can be easily stopped to produce a new blend with minimal loss of time and tobacco. A small amount, as needed, of the new blend can be produced, and then production of the original blend, or yet another blend, can resume or begin. As a result, it is not necessary to duplicate the blend fabrication equipment excessively. Although some duplication is required, the flexibility of the process in changing from production of-one blend to another allows that duplication to be minimal. Further, because of the simplicity and relatively low cost of the necessary equipment for carrying out the blend fabrication stage, whatever duplication is required can be accomplished easily and inexpensively to further increase the ability to produce multiple filler blends. The method according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the flow diagrams in FIGS. 2-4, with the previously known method discussed above presented in FIG. 1 for comparison. As seen in FIG. 1, in previously known method 10, each of the individual components--bright tobacco, oriental tobacco, burley tobacco, and a plurality of reconstituted components (two shown)--are subjected to vacuum conditioning at steps 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D and 11E, respectively, primarily for insect destruction and moistening. After vacuum conditioning, the components are put · through an opening and preblending step 12A, 12B, 12C, in which the strip material is passed through an arrangement of feeders, weigh belts and cylinders, and treated with heat, steam and water, in order to open up any folded or clumped material, as well as to preblend each component so that tobaccos of different origin and different sized pieces are uniformly mixed. In addition, if desired, certain components can be preblended together. For example, while burley tobacco is preblended alone in step 12B, in step 12A as shown, bright and oriental tobaccos are preferably preblended together, and in step 12C as shown, the plurality of reconstituted tobacco components are preferably preblended together. Of course, it is not necessary to preblend any components and all components could continue to be treated separately at this stage. Each of the three preblended components is then initially stored at step 13A, 13B, 13C in preblend silos. After preblending, each of the different components may be treated differently, depending on its composition. For example, burley tobacco receives the most treatment in the method as shown. Because of its relatively low sugars content, burley tobacco is sprayed with a "burley spray" solution of sugars and flavorings at step 14. Because the burley spray wets the tobacco substantially, it is then dried at step 15. Appropriate base, or "top," casings for burley tobacco are then applied at step 16B. The bright/oriental preblend does not require the sugars spray, and hence does not require drying, but does require top casing at step 16A with casings appropriate to bright and oriental tobaccos. The reconstituted tobaccos, which are flavored and otherwise treated when made, normally are not further treated at this point, and are passed immediately after preblending to total blending step 17. At total blending step 17, the preblended, and top cased (if appropriate), components are blended together. The total blend of strip tobaccos is then further moistened and heated in step 18 prior to being cut to filler width at step 19. Up to this point, the components have been maintained at a moisture level appropriate for cutting. At this point, the blended cut filler is dried at step 100 to a moisture level appropriate for flavoring and final storage. At step 101, final, or "after-cut," casings are applied, preferably in an after-cut cylinder. At this step, expanded tobacco components, including leaf, stem or both, and non-reconstituted tobaccos, having already been preblended, top cased as necessary, and cut, when made, may be added in and flavored with the other components. At step 102, the finished cut blended filler is deposited in a final storage silo, from which it is taken when needed for cigarette manufacture. The method 20 according to the present invention can be broken down into two major stages, as shown in FIG. 2. Each of the bright, burley and oriental tobaccos and the reconstituted components is processed through cut filler component preparation stage 21, producing individual cut filler components, each cased (if appropriate) and cut under conditions optimized for that component. The individual cut filler components are stored in separate cut filler component silos at steps 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D. As a blended filler is required, appropriate amounts of the various cut components are removed from storage and, along with appropriate non-reconstituted and expanded components which preferably have been cut and flavored when made, are processed through blend fabrication stage 23. Of course, the non-reconstituted or expanded components could also be processed through cut filler preparation stage 21 if desired. The processed blend is stored in step 24 until required for cigarette manufacture. The details of a preferred embodiment of cut filler component preparation stage 21 are shown in FIG. 3, which shows step 21 as it is carried out for each component. The strip and reconstituted tobacco materials are subjected at step 30 to cylinder conditioning for insect destruction and moistening, and to open up the material. Flavorings may also be added in step 30. At step 32, the tobacco material is passed through separators to eliminate clumps and to separate and remove foreign materials such as sticks, stems, etc. At preblending step 33, the materials are blended to assure that materials of all origins and pieces of all sizes are uniformly distributed. The preblended component may then be flavored at step 34 with whatever top casings are appropriate for that component. In the case of burley tobacco, that flavoring includes the traditional burley spray described above. However, the full amount of burley spray required preferably should not be applied at this step because it would render the tobacco too wet for cutting. The component is then conditioned with moisture, heat or both at step 35 prior to cutting into cut filler component in step 36. The cutting width in step 36 is set to the optimum for the particular component, as described above. In particular, it has been found that flyings, sandy lugs and tips from burley tobacco, sandy leaves, primings, and tips from bright tobacco, and third and fourth class and tips from oriental tobacco, should preferably be cut to widths of between about 1.0 mm and about 2.6 mm (about 25 cuts per inch to about 10 cuts per inch), most preferably about 1.8 mm (about 14 cuts per inch). Good lugs and cutters from burley or bright tobacco, first and second class oriental tobacco, and reconstituted tobacco components, which are of higher quality, should preferably be cut to widths of between about 0.85 mm and about 0.95 mm (about 30 cuts per inch to about 26 cuts per inch), most preferably about 0.90 mm (about 28 cuts per inch). The highest quality leaf and leafy tips of Burley and bright tobacco should preferably be cut to widths of between about 0.60 mm and about 0.80 mm (about 42 cuts per inch to about 31 cuts per inch), most preferably about 0.70 mm (about 36 cuts per inch). Although in the preferred embodiment of the invention stem components are processed off-line, it has been found that cutting stems to different widths can also improve the subjective and other qualities of the tobacco blend. In particular, flue-cured stems should preferably be cut to widths between about 0.15 mm and about 0.25 mm (about 169 cuts per inch to about 102 cuts per inch), most preferably about 0.20 mm (about 127 cuts per inch), while air-cured or fire―cured stems should preferably be cut to widths between about 0.20 mm and about 0.30 mm (about 127 cuts per inch to about 85 cuts per inch), most preferably about 0.25 mm (about 101 cuts per inch). The conditioning at step 35 is designed to maximize the survivability of the component and reduce the inherent internal stress generated by cutting, and is optimized for the particular component. While tobacco materials have previously been raised to relatively high moisture content (e.g., about 20% O.V.) to prevent breakage during cutting, in the present invention, it is preferred to keep the tobacco material as close to its normal moisture level as possible. Preferably, the moisture content is between about 13% O.V. and about 18% O.V. Instead of increasing the moisture content, in the present invention the tobacco materials are heated to a temperature between about 54°C (130°F) and about 77°C (179°F), preferably about 66°C (150°F), to make them more pliable. Heating can be achieved using a steam tunnel, with superheated steam used to prevent wetting of the tobacco, but it is more particularly preferred to use microwave heating at near equilibrium conditions for the relative humidity at the location where cutting is to occur. This thermal conditioning before cutting allows for less severe thermal treatment after cutting. After cutting, the component is subjected to post-cutting thermal treatment, drying, or both, at step 38 to enhance the filling power and subjective character of the component. As set forth above, step 38 can be less severe if there is thermal treatment at step 35. Step 38 helps to maximize the filling power of the component in a tobacco rod, in part as a result of physical changes caused in the component strands. Step 38 can be performed at any time after cutting step 36 and before flavoring step 43 (discussed below). The beneficial effects of step 38 are enhanced by the ability to cut the component in step 36 at relatively low moisture content, which in turn is a result of the treatment applied in step 35. At step 38, following thermal treatment, the components are quenched for filling power stabilization and subsequent component storage. At step 37, if the component is burley tobacco, any additional burley spray may be applied here, before the cut burley component passes to step 38. Other components pass directly from step 36 to step 38. Next, at component storage step 39 the cut and top-cased component is blended to account for variations and produce a uniform cut filler component, which is stored until it is called for by blend fabrication stage 23. The details of blend fabrication stage 23 are shown in FIG. 4. Individual bright, burley and oriental and reconstituted components are metered at steps 40A, 40B, 40C, 40D from cut filler component storage. The metered out components are weighed, preferably on respective weigh belts, and then mixed at step 41. Preferably, mixing is performed by delivering all components from their respective weigh belts to the same location on a single conveyor, and additional devices can be used to achieve mixing. Alternatively, the components can be delivered to separate locations along the single conveyor, where specific devices achieve mixing. At this point an optional trim drying/cooling step 42 may be necessary depending upon the moisture level of the blend and the desired moisture level needed for cigarette manufacturing. Expanded components are metered at step 40E from the respective component feed devices or silos. Other components, such as stems, may also be introduced at this point. The mixed components are then flavored at step 43 similarly to step 101 above. The flavored mixture is then blended at step 44. In a preferred embodiment, step 44 is carried out using a batch blend silo in which the flavored mixture is deposited in layers in one direction and removed in a different direction--e.g., perpendicular to the layering direction--to eliminate variations in the blend. The final blend is transported at step 45 either directly to a cigarette maker or to final blend storage where it can be kept--for up to about ten days in the preferred embodiment--until it is needed for cigarette manufacture. The blended filler can be transported to the cigarette makers by any suitable means, such as a conventional pneumatic conveyor, or by any other appropriate conveyor. Thus it is seen that a method is provided to produce different blends of cut tobacco filler with minimum loss of efficiency to change from one blend to another, to produce a blended cut tobacco filler closer in time to when it is used, to optimize the production of blended cut tobacco filler to the requirements of each component of the blend, to maximize the filling power and survivability of blended tobacco filler, to minimize the production of fines, and to minimize the loss to the environment of both natural and added flavor components of blended cut tobacco filler. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be practiced by other than the described embodiments, which are presented for purposes of illustration and not of limitation, and the present invention can be practiced only by the claims which follow.

Claims: A method (20) of preparing blended cigarette filler including a plurality of filler components comprising the steps of: for each component, treating (21) the component under treatment conditions optimized for that component, and cutting (21) the component to produce a cut filler component; and then blending a plurality of cut filler components to produce blended cigarette filler. A method (20) according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the filler components comprises a sheet material. A method (20) according to claim 2 wherein the sheet material comprises tobacco. A method (20) according to claim 2 or 3 wherein the tobacco sheet material comprises tobacco leaf. A method (20) according to claim 2 or 3 wherein the tobacco sheet material comprises reconstituted tobacco sheet. A method (20) according to any preceding claim wherein the treating step (21) comprises at least one of: expanding the component; and casing the component. A method (20) according to claim 6 wherein the expanding step is carried out under conditions optimized for the component. A method (20) according to claim 7 wherein the expansion conditions are optimized to maximize expansion of the component. A method (20) according to claim 7 wherein the expansion conditions are optimized to maximize filling power of the component. A method (20) according to claim 7 wherein the expansion conditions are optimized to maximize survivability of the component. A method (20) according to claim 6 wherein the casing step comprises applying a casing optimized for the component. A method (20) according to any preceding claim wherein the step of cutting the component comprises cutting the component under cutting conditions optimized for the component. A method (20) according to claim 12 wherein the optimized cutting conditions include a cutting width optimized for the component. A method (20) according to claim 12 or 13 wherein the cutting width is optimized to maximize filling power of the component. A method (20) according to claim 12 or 13 wherein the cutting conditions are optimized to maximize survivability of the cigarette filler. A method (20) according to claim 12 or 13 wherein the cutting conditions are optimized to minimize formation of fines during the cutting step. A method (20) according to claim 13, 14, 15 or 16 wherein the cutting width is wider for a lower quality component of a particular type than for a higher quality component of that type. A method (20) according to any of claims 12 to 17 wherein the cutting width is between 1 mm and 2.6 mm (between 25 cuts per inch and 10 cuts per inch) for flyings, sandy lugs or tips from burley tobacco; sandy leaves, primings, or tips from bright tobacco; or third or fourth class or tips from oriental tobacco. A method (20) according to claim 18 wherein the cutting width is about 1.8 mm (about 14 cuts per inch). A method (20) according to any of claims 12 to 17 wherein the cutting width is between 0.85 mm and 0.95 mm (between 30 cuts per inch and 26 cuts per inch) for: good lugs or cutters from burley or bright tobacco; first or second class oriental tobacco; or reconstituted tobacco components. A method (20) according to claim 20 wherein the cutting width is about 0.9 mm (about 28 cuts per inch). A method (20) according to any of claims 12 to 17 wherein the cutting width is between 0.65 mm and 0.85 mm (between 39 cuts per inch and 30 cuts per inch) for: leaf of burley tobacco; leafy tips of burley tobacco; leaf of bright tobacco; or leafy tips of bright tobacco. A method (20) according to claim 22 wherein the cutting width is about 0.75 mm (about 34 cuts per inch). A method (20) according to any of claims 12 to 17 wherein the cutting width is between 0.15 mm and 0.25 mm (between 169 cuts per inch and 102 cuts per inch) for flue-cured tobacco stems. A method (20) according to claim 24 wherein the cutting width is about 0.2 mm (about 127 cuts per inch). A method (20) according to any of claims 12 to 17 wherein the cutting width is between 0.2 mm and 0.3 mm (between 127 cuts per inch and 85 cuts per inch) for: air-cured tobacco stems; or fire-cured tobacco stems. A method (20) according to claim 26 wherein the cutting width is about 0.25 mm (about 101 cuts per inch). A method (20) according to any preceding claim wherein the step of treating one component under treatment conditions optimized for the component comprises heating and/or moisturizing of the component prior to cutting. A method (20) according to claim 28 wherein the heating step comprises heating the component at near equilibrium moisture conditions and the cutting step comprises maintaining the near equilibrium moisture condition of the component during cutting. A method (20) according to claim 28 or 29 wherein the heating step comprises heating the component to a temperature between 54°C (130°F) and 77°C (170°F). A method (20) according to claim 30 wherein the heating step comprises heating the component to 66°C (150°F). A method (20) according to any of claims 28 to 31 wherein the heating step comprises maintaining the component at a moisture content of from 13% O.V. to 18% O.V. A method (20) according to any of claims 28 to 32 wherein the heating step comprises subjecting the component to microwave radiation. A method (20) according to any of claims 28 to 32 wherein the heating step comprises subjecting the component to steam. A method (20) according to claim 34 wherein the heating step comprises subjecting the component to superheated steam. The method of claim 1 wherein said treatment conditions are optimized to maximize filling power of said cigarette filler. A method (20) according to any preceding claim further comprising storing each cut filler component after the cutting step; and wherein the blending step is performed substantially on demand when the blended cigarette filler is required to produce cigarettes, the stored cut filler component being used in the blending step. A method (20) according to claim 37 wherein the cutting step and the treatment step are performed substantially continually to produce the cut filler components for storage and the blending step is performed at intervals as required. A method (20) according to claim 38 wherein the intervals are regular. A method (20) according to claim 38 wherein the intervals are irregular. A method (20) according to any preceding claim further comprising adding at least one additional filler component. A method (20) according to claim 41 wherein the additional component is pre-treated. A method (20) according to any preceding claim further comprising treating the blended cigarette filler. A method (20) according to claim 41 or 42 and to claim 43 wherein the blended cigarette filler is treated before addition of the additional component. A method (20) according to claim 41 or 42 and to claim 43 wherein the blended cigarette filler is treated after addition of the additional component. A method (20) according to claim 43, 44 or 45 wherein the step of treating the blended cigarette filler comprises casing the blended cigarette filler. A method (20) according to claim 46 wherein the casing is optimized for the blend. A method (20) according to claim 46 or 47 wherein the casing is applied close in time to use of the blended cigarette filler in cigarette production, minimizing evaporation of volatile fractions of the casing. A method (20) according to any preceding claim wherein the treatment conditions are optimized to maximize survivability of the cigarette filler. A method (20) according to any preceding claim wherein the treatment conditions are optimized to minimize formation of fines in the cigarette filler. A method (20) according to any preceding claim of preparing blended cigarette filler having improved filling power, the blended cigarette filler including a plurality of filler components comprising the steps of: for each component, treating the component to improve the filling power of the component under treatment conditions optimized for the component, and cutting the component to produce a cut filler component; and then blending a plurality of said cut filler components to produce blended cigarette filler.

Inventors: CLARK STEPHEN E, FRATTOLILLO ANTONIO P A, HOLLAND TOMMY C, MULLINS ROBERT S, WOOD CLIFTON A, CLARK, STEPHEN E., FRATTOLILLO, ANTONIO P.A., HOLLAND, TOMMY C., MULLINS, ROBERT S., WOOD, CLIFTON A.
Applicants: PHILIP MORRIS PROD, PHILIP MORRIS PRODUCTS INC.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: A24B3
IPC codes: A24B3, A24B7, A24B13